Vermeulen hopes to fight on top in Italy

The Australian scored his maiden MotoGP victory in Le Mans, where the Rizla Suzuki rider took full advantage of the wet conditions to give the Japanese manufacturer their first victory since 2001.

And although he struggled last year at Mugello, where he finished down in 14th position, Vermeulen is hoping for a much stronger weekend that allows him to keep his momentum going.

"It was tough last year," the Australian said on Thursday. "When I rode out of the pitlane and did the first few laps I thought 'this is going to be a long weekend'. It was hard work. It took a long time to get up to speed.

"I think I finished 14th last year, not my best result, but we tested on the Monday after the Grand Prix, I did a lot more laps of the circuit and felt a lot more comfortable, so hopefully this weekend we can improve a lot on that 14th and be right at the front."

Vermeulen, currently in fifth place in the standings following his win in France, admitted he is now hungry for more success.

"It was very wet but I enjoyed it obviously," he said of his win in Le Mans. "It was a long-time goal of mine to come into Grand Prix racing, be competitive and to win a race. Hopefully we can win many more."